Bows

We craft a range of bows from the traditional English longbow to character flatbows to Pacific Northwest paddlebows. ​We build both selfbows (made with a single piece of yew) and laminates (layers of yew & a backing of bamboo).

All our bows are built using local Pacific Yew (taxus brevifolia). The beauty and strength in yew as a bow wood comes from the sapwood/heartwood combination. Sapwood (the white wood that is on the outside of the tree, just below the bark) excels under tension. It forms the back of the bow and is being stretched. Heartwood (the red wood that makes up the center of the tree) is the opposite, excelling under compression. This makes it the ideal belly wood, as it is compacted during the draw.

Mainstream archery calls all wooden bows longbows, however when you're in the wooden bow world there are more distinct categories, which are explained below.

Longbow

This is the traditional style from Great Britain. These bows are typically as tall or taller than the archer. They have a "D" shape profile (cross-section) - flat back and rounded belly.

Usually with horn caps, tip overlays are also used. Often shot without an arrow rest (off-the-hand) or grip (keeping to the bare wood). Often seen with a small inlay arrow pass or a bowyer's mark to let you know where to shoot from.

With a smooth draw and very little stress on the bow, these are beautiful to shoot and stunning to see.

The other guys in the club have been round to admire your work, Everyone's in agreement it's best looking longbow any of us have ever seen and I've got seven now.~Benjamin~

Flatbow

North American style bow (though there are references to these bows in Europe). This bow is rectangular in cross section, with a stiff handle.

It is more common to see recurve tips in flatbows. Arrow shelfs carved out of the handle and/or an additional arrow rest is the norm. These are shorter bows, reaching, on average, to the archers nose to eye height.

These bows have low hand shock. They give you a sure, hard shot that feels sweet as it leaves the string.

She's beautiful, perfect in every way. I love the finish and details, and she shoots really sweetly. Thank you so much!~Alison~

Warbow

Same style as the longbow, but usually longer and definitely heavier. 70+ pounds in draw weight.

These were the bows used in the great battles between the English and their enemies. Often bows were in the 100+ pound range.

These give you a real sense of power behind the most influential weapon of the medieval ages. Great for launching heavy arrows really far.

There is absolutely no hand shock and the pull is nice and even throughout the entire draw. The name Magni is perfect because it takes the Norse god of strength to draw it. It is in a good home and I will always be proud of owning a true work of art.​~Ben V.~

Paddlebow

These are the bows of the Pacific Northwest (British Columbia, Washington, & Oregon). These bows were short, wide, and made with Pacific Yew (many Native groups referred to this tree as the "bow plant").

Short bows (40"-55") built for a short draw (up to 23"), these bows are ideal for a draw to the chest - often used while hunting in areas with denser brush and at close quarters.

The tips were often styled with a diamond or wedge shape. And a characteristic ridge down the belly (sometimes a double ridge or scallop) is seen on many of the surviving bows.